


Bunnies don't cure loneliness, but a boyfriend sure does

by igotdamn



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, Deputy Stiles Stilinski, Derek gets a bunny, Derek moves back to Beacon Hills, Erica loves creating drama, M/M, Veterinarian Scott McCall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-29 18:09:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6387136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/igotdamn/pseuds/igotdamn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek feels lonely so he buys a bunny to keep him company. Stiles does not appreciate Derek's lack of preparation and chews him out for not knowing how to properly take care of the little fella. He ends up helping Derek though, so all ends well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bunnies don't cure loneliness, but a boyfriend sure does

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt said: "I wish you would write a fic where Derek is new to Beacon Hills and feeling lonely, so he decides to get a pet. And he settles on a bunny, because he's got all these good memories of them (maybe a relative had one? maybe it was a class pet? Idk), but he doesn't realize how close it is to Easter, and he definitely didn't expect that boy at the vet's office with the pretty eyes to chew him out for being "irresponsible" and "heartless" when he goes to take BunBun in for her shots."
> 
> Which I took a few creative liberties on. Also I honestly don't know how to write short stuff, so.

The slam of his car door echoes loudly, breaking a serene silence Derek has been craving for years now. He’s been living in New York for exactly seven years, starting with moving there for college and ending up staying because he got offered an extremely well-paying job.

 

The verdict? New York doesn’t resonate with Derek all that well. Too loud, too busy, too fast.

 

He’ll never admit to it out loud, but he misses his childhood home. His mother and father, his sisters, his family.

 

His thumb presses the lock button on his car keys, making the lights flicker briefly. With a smile, he takes a deep breath of actual fresh air. _Yeah_ , he thinks. Just _yeah_.

 

Since there’s no rush—which is a whole new experience—he slowly walks towards the tall building he’ll get to call home now. He’s practically giddy about it, but that, too, he’ll never admit.

 

Laura is the one that found this place for him. It was during a phone call—Derek was complaining yet again about constant headaches and a pressing need for sleep—that his sister told him about the job opening in Whittemore’s law firm, and the conveniently vacant loft nearby; a mere ten minutes by car. When he had berated her for butting into his life, she had simply said, “Geez Derek, I’m just giving you the new town gossip, you should be thankful for it, if not worshiping the ground I walk on.” Laura had then ended the call, always eager to have the last word.

 

Less than two weeks later, Derek found himself having a job interview via Skype. Another week later, he had handed in his resignation, emptied his apartment on the Upper East Side, and shipped his belongings ahead of him towards his new home. There was a burning sense of exhilaration and relief. Excitement and, well, hope.

 

Though he didn’t know then, and doesn’t know now, what that hope was for.

 

-

 

It doesn’t take Derek all that long to settle in. Before he knows it, he’s gotten into his new life. Working at Whittemore is, despite being in a significantly smaller city, still a challenge. Plenty of cases are thrown his way and it’s all very busy and stressful, but the second he clocks out, that’s over. He has dinner with his parents every Tuesday and Friday. He has lunch with Laura every Monday and Thursday, and Wednesday evenings are for quality time with Cora. His weekends are… Well.

 

The deal is, Beacon Hills is great. It is! It’s exactly as he expected it to be. Kind of. Maybe he was naively thinking he’d feel less lonely, figuring the loneliness he felt back in New York was due merely to the impersonality of a big city. Clearly he was wrong.

 

-

 

“You should get a pet,” Cora tells him. She’s put on a wise face and her serious voice in attempt to drive her point home.

 

“You just want me to get a dog so you get to play with it because Mom won’t let you have one,” Derek returns, eyes on the TV screen. He’s currently winning.

 

“So not true.” She sends him a red shell and Derek curses.

 

“Is too, because they know they’ll get stuck with walking the poor thing because you’re too lazy.” His car hits a banana peel which makes Cora laugh evilly.

 

“Whatever,” she mumbles, sending off another red shell, eventually winning first place.

 

Derek ends up fifth.

 

When he’s back home though, he thinks about what his sister said. He’d love a dog, but his work hours are too long and too irregular, he doesn’t want the dog to wait around all day just for him. That’s no life to live. He could get a fish? Although no. He remembers that one time when he was seven years old, he had a full-fledged aquarium (tiny little castle and all) in his room. It was all fun and games until he had to go to sleep and the thing wouldn’t stop popping air bubbles. Derek has sensitive hearing, okay. He couldn’t sleep at all. So no fish.

 

He falls asleep before making any decisions.

 

Derek forgets about it, but not about the loneliness. It’s something that grows, viciously and relentlessly, and it’s not until on fine Saturday morning that he revisits the idea.

 

When he wakes up that infamous day, it’s with an inexplicable need for coco puffs. Derek doesn’t have coco puffs. So with great annoyance, he drags his feet towards the nearest mall. It’s with way less annoyance that he passes a pet store, and retraces his steps to look inside.

 

Long floppy ears, a teeny tiny nose, dark fur, and eyes that are pretty much calling for him. Derek doesn’t even hesitate.

 

He ends up back home sans coco puffs, but with one new tiny little bunny.

 

-

 

In hindsight, Derek wasn’t exactly prepared enough. Sure, he bought a cage and food and hoped for the best. But for taking care of an actual living creature, just your best and good intentions are most definitely not enough.

 

It’s been two weeks, and the little bunny merely lies in the corner of his cage. Listless, whereas before he’d been so energetic Derek barely knew what to do with him.

 

Cora is the one that drags the both of them to the local vet.

 

There’s a young man behind the reception desk. Hair artfully ruffled as if he just rolled out of bed, amber eyes focused on his computer screen, long fingers mercilessly typing away on the keyboard. Derek swallows hard when the man looks up and he notices clusters of moles scattered all over. Sharp cheekbone that clicks in annoyance when he casts his gaze down towards Derek’s bunny.

 

“Oh my God,” the man groans. “What did you _do?_ ” He springs up from his chair, practically leaning over the desk to get a better look. He makes grabby hands when Derek doesn’t move.

 

It’s ridiculous how compelled Derek feels to just hand his pet over.

 

The man cradles the bunny close to his chest, moving one of his long fingers towards the bunny, softly stroking up from his tiny little nose until the top of his head.

 

“BunBun isn’t feeling well,” Cora provides, earning nothing but a glare in return.

 

“ _Really?_ He looks extremely healthy to me.” His eyes narrow darkly before turning back to the little animal, his entire demeanour softening again.

 

Derek is struck both by the beauty and the sarcasm. “Can we see the vet?” He asks.

 

“What do you even feed this poor little fella?” The man asks. “He looks underfed.”

 

“He gets plenty of food!” Derek snaps, then sucks in a breath because why is he snapping?

 

“His teeth are getting too long,” Amber Eyes continues. “You do know that bunny teeth never stop growing, right? You need to give him the right stuff to eat.”

 

“I—” No, Derek did not know that. He doesn’t remember anyone ever making a big deal about what to give a bunny for dinner or about the length of their teeth. What he _does_ remember is people making fun of _his_ teeth, but that’s an other story.

 

“And look at his tiny paws, do you let him walk around on pebbles or what? Bunny feet are _sensitive_.”

 

“Stiles,” a voice interrupts him.

 

They all turn towards the voice. Derek’s jaw sets again when he sees another young man with a white coat that clearly says he’s the one they came to see. Dark eyes, and a smile around his lips. A slightly uneven jaw, and an air of utmost and complete peace.

 

“Scott McCall,” he says, then looks at Stiles with a frown. “I’m guessing you’re here for the bunny.”

 

Cora nods. “BunBun.”

 

“Well, _BunBun_ looks awful,” Stiles interjects. “I mean _look at him_!” He turns towards Derek, glare set back in his eyes. “Did you even research this properly before committing to a bunny?”

 

“Stiles!” Scott raises his voice in a way that it sounds like he isn’t raising his voice at all.

 

Even so, it does the trick and Stiles shuts up. He hands the bunny over to Scott, refusing to look at Derek, then angrily goes back to whatever he was doing on his computer.

 

-

 

Turns out it’s not that Derek doesn’t care for his bunny. _It’s not_. After hearing Derek going on and on about the hay he bought BunBun and the cage and how he makes sure the little animal gets enough air, even Scott admitted that BunBun wasn’t feeling so bad out of lack of intention. There was probably something wrong about the brand or something probably not that irreversible. He clearly pitied Derek a bit after his mini-meltdown (which Derek secretly blames _Stiles_ for—what kind of name _is_ that even?) and gave him the name and address to a different pet store he can vouch for.

 

Derek doesn’t waste any time. The next day he rises early and heads for the store. It’s a big place, clearly more professional than the one he went to in the mall, which gives him the feeling he’s definitely at the right place. Just. Why are there so many different brands? How is he to know what brand to pick?

 

He walks up and down the bunny aisle for what feels like over a million times, muttering to himself about how all the bags look the same and what terrible marketing strategy that is. Then he suddenly—but inevitably—bumps into someone. When he looks up he figures it’s just his luck.

 

“Unbelievable,” Stiles says, voice pinched, eyes joining in the sentiment.

 

“Stiles,” Derek returns, feeling a bit miffed that he still remembers that ridiculous name.

 

“Finally realised you’re a heartless person, huh?”

 

Unconsciously Derek takes a step back. “Excuse me?”

 

“Don’t act so innocent,” Stiles spits. “Don’t think even for a second you can hide your irresponsibility behind that infuriating face of yours. You think those green eyes can muffle away your lack of effort? Bunnies don’t care about your eyes, man. They care about different stuff. Stuff you’d know about if you’d done your research before getting a bunny despite not knowing how to take care of one.” He’s bristling by the time he finishes his little rant. Then squares his shoulders so he can regain his false demeanour of being a calm and collected adult.

 

There’s a sudden pang of guilt Derek’s experiencing. He feels his cheeks heat up a bit as he sheepishly admits, “You’re right, I didn’t think this through.”

 

This time Stiles is the one taking a step back, clearly not used to someone not diving into a argument with him.

 

“I just—I saw BunBun, and I…” Derek sighs. He feels a tad embarrassed. “Back in kindergarten the other kids always teased me for my teeth, then pushed me towards the class bunny because we were, and I quote, _‘practically related’_. That bunny eventually turned out to be my only friend for a long time and then one day Carrot died. When I saw BunBun at the pet store it just reminded me so much of Carrot and I couldn’t not take him home with me.” He takes a deep breath, embarrassed by his sudden confession.

 

Stiles looks at him for a moment, eyes big, mouth open. Derek doesn’t allow his thoughts to stray, which is easier said than done.

 

“The bunny’s name was _Carrot_?”

 

“Yes.” Derek pointedly does not look at Stiles. He hears him sigh though.

 

“Timothy Hay,” he eventually says. “You want the Timothy Hay and try to stay away from the alfalfa.”

 

He looks up to a suddenly mellowed Stiles. It does things to him he doesn’t wish to diverge on.

 

“A little alfalfa isn’t bad, but it’s important to limit your bunny’s intake because it’s pretty high on fibre and protein.” Stiles continues, pulling a bag out of the racks and placing it in Derek’s cart. “You don’t want BunBun to become obese.”

 

They end up filling Derek’s cart all the way up, and as they’re standing at the checkout, Stiles startles. “Oh, you made me forget what I came here for in the first place!” Then he dashes off again.

 

Derek can only watch him go while he waits for the cashier to round up his bill.

 

He _does not_ feel relieved when Stiles comes back only a couple of minutes later, arms full of bags of dog food.

 

After having paid, Derek actually waits for Stiles before wheeling his cart towards his Camaro, then watches Stiles heave the bags into his own Jeep.

 

There’s a brief moment in which they awkwardly stare at each other, and Derek has absolutely no idea where he gets the sudden surge of courage when he asks, “Would you mind helping me set up all of this stuff?”

 

Stiles pulls up an eyebrow as he slams his trunk shut. “Like, at your place?”

 

Derek nods. “Yes.”

 

The raised eyebrow doesn’t go down, but Stiles agrees nevertheless. “Yeah I guess that’d be okay.”

 

Slowly but surely Stiles locks his Jeep and walks over to the other side of Derek’s Camaro. As Stiles’s long fingers grasp around the buckle to click in his seatbelt, Derek dies a little. It’s ridiculous to feel the way he feels over a man he doesn’t even know, but when the feeling’s there, it’s there, you know?

 

Stiles talks animatedly the entire drive. Tells Derek about Scott’s dog and the tricks he’s trying to teach him. So far he can sit, lay down, roll over, and give high fives. He’s going on a tangent about how he’s trying to get General Thunderbolt do a little dance when they arrive.

 

Derek continues their conversation as they get out and start emptying the car. “General Thunderbolt?”

 

“Yeah,” Stiles nods, swinging a bag of Timothy Hay over his shoulder. “I got to name him, so.”

 

Derek doesn’t respond to that, which seemingly irks him. “Your eyebrows are saying you’re not getting the reference.”

 

“Oh, it’s a reference?”

 

The man scoffs indignantly. “The Red Hulk? You lack some serious culture.”

 

Derek shrugs, “Isn’t the Hulk green?”

 

Stiles actually stops and stares at him for a second, then groans loudly. “Oh my _God._ ”

 

They drop the subject shortly after Stiles berates Derek for not even knowing General Thaddeus E. “Thunderbolt” Ross.

 

“IGN even listed him as the 71st greatest comic book villain of all time.” His voice rises in excitement. “ _Of all time,_ Derek!”

 

“Who is first?”

 

“Magneto.”

 

Stiles makes Derek promise to read up on _‘The Incredible Hulk’_ before he tells him how to set up BunBun’s new place. He explains the importance of soft bedding and why a bunny needs a little hole to hide in. There’s also a brief moment where Derek gets scolded once again for trying to feed BunBun carrots.

 

“No, Derek! What are you doing! Only cartoon rabbits eat that many carrots! Bunnies are only allowed like a teeny tiny bit of carrots because they contain _way_ too much sugar.”

 

Once everything is set, and Stiles finally feels like he can trust BunBun alone with Derek, Stiles starts inching for the door. “So good luck, man.”

 

“Wait,” Derek finds himself saying. He just really doesn’t want Stiles to go yet. The scene in Mulan where grandmother Fa asks if Shang wants to stay forever flashes in front of his eyes, and he decides to take that piece of Disney-advice to heart. “Want to stay for dinner?” Or well, almost. The intention’s there.

 

“Oh.” Stiles’s eyes shift from the door to BunBun’s new cage, to his little water bowl, then finally to Derek. “Um.”

 

“My way of saying thanks,” Derek quickly tries to salvage the suddenly extremely awkward atmosphere. “For helping out with BunBun.”

 

Stiles eyes the door again, but eventually turns back to Derek, who counts that as a win. “Yeah okay, but I can’t stay too long. I have a night shift today.”

 

Derek orders pizza. They play with BunBun while they wait.

 

“So how do you know so much about bunnies?” Derek asks him, it’s a question that’s been burning on the tip of his tongue since Stiles first snatched BunBun out of his arms.

 

“Midnight Internet Adventures,” Stiles says, rolling a little toy in BunBun’s direction. Derek swears he hears the capitalised words in the other man’s voice. “I know way too many things about way too many different subjects.” He looks up and their eyes lock.

 

Derek’s stomach flutters.

 

“Try me about ringworms, I dare you. You’ll be surprised how much there is to learn about them.”

 

“I’ll have a rain check on that,” Derek smiles. “But thanks.”

 

-

 

Three days later, when his sisters ask about Derek’s sullen mood, he tells them he met someone, but hasn’t heard from them in a couple of days now, and he can’t help but _miss_ them. Cora says it’s probably because it’s the first person he’s talked to other than relatives. Laura just laughs and tells him to suck it up and call him.

 

Derek can’t call him, because he’s is an idiot, and didn’t ask Stiles’s number.

 

So he ends up doing the sensible thing. The next Saturday, he puts BunBun in his carrier, and drives all the way to the vet’s office. He’s getting both nervous and excited as he walks the way up to the door, and waits for it to slide open.

 

He expects to see Stiles sitting behind the reception desk again. Disappointment quickly washes over him when he sees a lady instead. Blonde hair, red lips, filing her polished nails.

 

She doesn’t look up when Derek enters, obviously not even remotely interested.

 

“Um,” he starts eloquently. “Stiles isn’t here today?”

 

Her eyes shoot up, mocking smile tugging her red lips upwards. “You’re here to see Stiles?”

 

Derek lowers BunBun’s carrier so he can put him on the floor. “Well, yes. Is he not working today?”

 

“He’s working alright.” Her grin grows, and it’s starting to work on Derek’s nerves.

 

He allows his eyes to scan the room in one quick movement. Still, no Stiles. “I don’t get it,” he mutters to himself, then looks back at the girl. “He works here, right?”

 

“Oh honey,” she tuts her lips while shaking her head with fake pity before adding in what nearly sounds like a purr. “Trust me, you’re not the first to think that.”

 

“He was here last week,” Derek persists. He’s starting to wonder if the girl is just playing with him now.

 

“Naturally,” she nods, putting her elbows on the desk so she can lean her chin in her cupped hands. “He comes in all the time,” she adds, flicking her head at the door leading to Scott’s practice. “You know, because of Scott.”

 

“Because of— _oh_.” Everything suddenly makes sense. Why Stiles was there in the first place, why Stiles got to name Scott’s dog, why Stiles was so hesitant to stay for dinner until Derek assured him it was just for saying thanks.

 

“So is something wrong with your rabbit?” She asks, her grin still firmly in place. A victorious glint flashing in her eyes, her voice a tad too sweet.

 

“No, I—” He picks the carrier back up, suddenly feeling extremely stupid. “I forgot I have to go.”

 

He leaves then, thinking he needs to find a different vet because no way in Hell will he be able to look at Scott and not think about Stiles and the things that could have been.

 

- 

 

“You’re being ridiculous,” Laura tells him. She’s watching him pick his food like a petulant child. “You’re also ruining dinner.”

 

Derek doesn’t reply, merely pushes his vegetables around on his plate.

 

“I didn’t come out here today so I can watch you mope, Derek.”

 

“I’m not _moping_ ,” Derek grunts. He swears he’s twenty-eight years old, and not twelve.

 

Laura sighs as she puts down her fork and knife. “Who is this even about?”

 

He finally gives up on pretending to have an appetite and drops his fork as well. “Stiles,” he says.

 

Her face instantly lights up. “Oh! The sheriff’s kid, right?”

 

Derek doesn’t reply because that’s brand new information. She continues either way. “He’s freaking hilarious! Did you know he’s one of Cora’s friends? They all went to the lake together during the summer.”

 

“They?”

 

“Yeah,” Laura takes a sip of her drink before going on with renewed excitement. “You know, Cora and Isaac, Erica, Boyd, Lydia, Allison, Scott and Stiles.”

 

His jaw clenches involuntarily at that. _Scott and Stiles_. How long have they been together for being referred to them as a pair? As if they’re just a package deal?

 

Even though he doesn’t really want to hear the answer, his curiosity wins. “How long have they been together? Scott and Stiles?”

 

Laura stops. Realisation dawning. “Oh Derek, no.”

 

Because life is filled with amazing coincidences, the door to the diner opens, and no one other but Stiles walks in. Stiles, wearing a deputy uniform. It doesn’t take him long to spot them. He waves, and heads straight towards their table.

 

Derek’s freaking out a bit, because Stiles, _in a deputy uniform_. It’s fucking hot is what it is.

 

“Hey,” Stiles greets them. He gives Laura a kiss on her cheek, followed by a nod and a smile in Derek’s direction. “It’s been a while, huh?”

 

“You’re a deputy,” Derek blurts.

 

Stiles simply laughs in response, patting his chest, right on his badge. “Slowly working my way up.”

 

“I didn’t know that,” he says, making Stiles frown.

 

“Well what did you think I did for a living?”

 

Now Derek feels a bit sheepish admitting to it. “I thought you worked for Scott,” he looks down at his still full plate. “As his assistant.”

 

The deputy laughs, “You’re not the first to think that.”

 

“I went back the other day and the blonde behind the desk told me you only hang out there all the time to be around your boyfriend.”

 

“Erica did?” Stiles frowns. “She actually told you that?”

 

Derek shrugs, thinking he should start keeping his mouth shut now.

 

“I don’t have a boyfriend, though,” he says, Laura chuckles along with him, probably because she knows all of that, and most likely because she thinks her brother is an idiot. “I’m single and _very_ ready to mingle,” he sings, adding a wink for effect.

 

Derek opens his mouth to comment on that, because heaven knows he wants to, but then one of the waitresses interrupts them by telling Stiles his take-out is ready.

 

“Ah, that’s my cue,” Stiles smiles. “Laura, Derek, nice seeing you again.” Then he turns around, his hand lingering in the air in an aborted wave.

 

Anxious to let him just leave like that, definitely now that everything’s been cleared out, Derek jumps out of his seat and follows Stiles. “Wait!”

 

Stiles stops, head turning, surprised smile sliding in place.

 

“I don’t have your number,” Derek says, holding out his hand for God knows why.

 

“Oh, right.” He pulls out a little notebook out of his breast pocket. There’s a pen attached to it, which he uses to scribble his phone number on the back of Derek’s outstretched hand. “Now you do.”

 

Derek simply beams as he watches Stiles accept the bag of take-out and leave.

 

- 

 

Done with guessing and wondering, and in absolutely no mood to play coy about it, Derek calls him the next day to ask him out for a date. He actually uses the word _‘date’_ so there are misunderstandings whatsoever.

 

Stiles agrees to dinner and a movie, but “only if I get to play with BunBun.”

 

- 

 

Derek makes his mother’s lasagna. Stiles moans at the very first bite and doesn’t stop doing that until he’s cleared his entire plate. When he turns around to tell Derek to marry him because he swears to God that’s the best lasagna he’s ever had, he sees a red-faced Derek gaping at him.

 

Needless to say they skip the movie in favour of a heated make-out session.

 

“This is not getting you out of watching _‘The Incredible Hulk’_ , you know,” Stiles tells him, and Derek shuts him up by pulling him closer and sealing their lips together once more.

 

-

 

So now Derek has a bunny and a boyfriend, which all in all makes his decision to move back to Beacon Hills the best decision _ever_.

 

 

 


End file.
